MINING IN SOUTH AFRICA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17452, 29 December 1930, Page 11

MINING IN SOUTH AFRICA

LOW GRADE ORES TREATED LESSON TO AUSTRALIA SYDNEY, Dec. 17. Captain H. Clayton, formerly of tho Royal Field Artillery and the South Notts Hussars, who is practising as an architect in Johannesburg, arrived in Sydney by the Bendigo. He said that the mining industry t in South Africa had returned to prosperity through the perfection of methods of treating low-grade ores. The Rand mines produced from £25,000,000 to £30,000,000 worth of gold every year, which; held an immense ef* feet on conditions throughout the country.

Captain Clayton said that conditions were not. very promising four or five years ago. Many mines had closed ilnwn as the.best ground had been worked. Proprietors did not think that continuance of operation would be successful. The result was,that thousands of natives and white workmen were thrown out of work, and the States ‘began to feel the effect of lessened production. 1 However, an intensive campaign of reorganisation of plants and chemical experiment had caused production to return to normal. The latest methods

were used in every mine, and more atad more gold was being produced every year. After the temporary reverse caused by working by old method® the success of modern practice m&d® min® owners certain that the gradual exhaustion of the best ores could be met witii greater efficiency. ....J, Captain Clayton said that mine owners oversea were surprised that Australia with her huge mines of ores of low and medium grades had not profited by the example of South Africa _ and otter countries. The general opinion wißthat even high wages would not ritake it impossible to work n number of gold mites.